Casting Stones
by Aki no Joo
Summary: The Ripple Effect dictates that one interaction can affect other interactions not directly related to the first. I found myself reborn after my death, and like a stone that is cast into the water...I altered everything. A semi self-insert (SI) OC story.
1. Arc I (Pre-Introduction): My Death

A/N: This story is rated M due to strong violence, language and suggestive themes.

Summary: The Ripple Effect dictates that one interaction can affect other interactions not directly related to the first. I found myself reborn after my death, and like a stone that is cast into the water, _I altered everything_. A semi self-insert (SI) OC story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any way shape or form. I do own any original characters featured in this story, whether major or minor.

Big thanks to my beta and best friend Kanae14!

* * *

_**"Life is an endless cycle of souls, swirling along the path of the universe, being reborn, but never truly dying before being reborn again.  
As long as this cycle continues, we will never really die." ― **_**Ameila Wolfe**

* * *

**Arc I: Chapter 1**

As I lay in a warm cocoon surrounded by comforting darkness, I reflected on what had been my life before death, because surely I was dead. I was a certified genius with an IQ of 188 and an only child, isolated and surrounded by my favorite things. I obtained my PhD in Astrophysics and B.A.s in Psychology and Physiology by the time I was 17 years old. Naruto was my all-time favorite manga and anime series and kept me going every day. The cheerful persistence of the blonde haired boy and his ability to inspire strength in those around him is what inspired me to come out of my shell. Inspired by Naruto, I decided to pursue teaching and became a professor at my alma mater, Tokyo University.

By the time I died at 23 years old, I became the head of the psychology department at Tokyo U and was a student favorite. I would like to say I died quickly, but that was not the case at all. I was shot in the middle of a lecture on, ironically, serial killers and psychopaths and the bullet entered my chest and pierced a lung. I was vaguely aware of the chaos that broke out around me as my lungs filled with blood. My pained gasps went unheard and my life literally flashed before my eyes, my eidetic memory pushing forward every detail of every event in my life.

My first trip to Disney. My first graduation. My first time making a friend. My first kiss. My brother's birth. My parents' death. _Who's going to take care of Derek now?_ Eventually I fell into a calm acceptance of my death and my thoughts turned towards Naruto, standing strong during the Fourth Great Shinobi War. _Guess I'll never know how it really ends…_

As I drifted off for the final time in that life, I briefly wished that I could have made more of a difference in the world.

When I became aware again I was in my darkness. I could barely move and I could sometimes hear muffled voices. I was unable to make out words but the voices brought tremendous comfort. _I am not alone_. One voice was soft and soothing. It was the voice I heard the most. Another one was deep and resonated through me, bringing me to attention every time I heard it. Sometimes there was a voice that was loud and jarring, causing me to squirm in my new environment. I would kick out and my feet would knock against a soft barrier, which told me that wherever I was, it was a small space. I could barely move but sometimes would feel a tug in my belly button. I figured out where I was exactly when my feet tangled a bit in what must have been an umbilical cord.

Not long after I realized I was in a womb, my world changed again. An unbelievable pressure bore down on me, pushing me from my safe place. I came into my new world wailing and screaming, uncooperative limbs heavy and flailing. Giant hands wrapped me up in a blanket and handed me off to someone else with slightly smaller, but still large, hands. I opened my eyes for the first time and connected with the brown eyes of my new mother. My world was a bit blurry but I could make out long red markings on her face and brown wild and shaggy hair. I figured she was my mother because she looked at me with adoration and utter devotion. She cooed and rocked me in her arms. My vision started to adjust to the harsh light and I could make out a few more features, sharp cheekbones and the markings on her face resembled those of the Inuzuka Clan from Naruto. _Must be a cosplayer_ I thought as I settled in her arms.

Let's just skip over the breast feeding that came next, I am still somewhat traumatized from the experience but a girl's gotta eat. _Wait, am I still female?_ I didn't feel anything dangling between my legs but I couldn't be completely sure. After I was fed, she handed me to someone with the largest hands so far. I was held up against a broad chest and I looked at my new father. He lacked the markings on her face and had onyx eyes with jet black hair. He had a bit of a broad nose and the prettiest eyelashes I had ever seen.

Hoping that I inherited that feature, my eyes zoomed in on what I recognized to be a forehead protector with a symbol for Konoha on it. _My new parents are so cool_ ran through my mind before he opened his mouth and spoke Japanese. _They don't look Japanese_ was my next thought before I began to pay attention to the conversation around me that I had been tuning out this whole time.

"Pou, have you decided on a name?" his deep voice asked. I could feel it in my bones and recognized right away that it was one of the muffled voices from my time in the womb.

"Mimi. Inuzuka Mimi," the soothing voice from the womb replied, which I associated with the name Pou. _Okaa-chan_.

Wait..._What?_

While I was thinking about how they were taking this cosplay thing a little too far, Pou continued, "Are you sure you don't want to present her (_Ha, so I'm still female!_) to your clan?"

"No, the Uchiha Clan (_OH MY GOD WHAT?) _will exploit her like they have done with Itachi. I don't want her to deal with that kind of pressure and holding this miracle in my arms, this piece of you and me, just cements my resolve. Until she develops the Sharingan, no one must ever know she is an Uchiha. By then, she will be too much a part of the Inuzuka Clan for them to make any kind of claim," the deep voice belonging to the man that held me replied.

Oh ok, so not a cosplay. Was I really just reborn into the Naruto-universe?

* * *

A/N: Oh wow, I did not think I would 1. ever write a Naruto fic and 2. write a self-insert story. I was inspired, however, by stories like Silver Queen's "Dreaming of Sunshine", Lang Noi's "Catch Your Breath," and shadownumera's "Clearing Mist." I found myself wanting to write my own and if you haven't read any of those stories, please check them out, they are absolutely incredible.


	2. Arc I (Pre-Introduction): Infancy

A/N: This story is rated M due to strong violence, language and suggestive themes.

Summary: The Ripple Effect dictates that one interaction can affect other interactions not directly related to the first. I found myself reborn after my death, and like a stone that is cast into the water, _I altered everything_. A semi self-insert (SI) OC story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any way shape or form. I do own any original characters featured in this story, whether major or minor.

Big thanks to my beta and best friend Kanae14!

* * *

**_"Some things scratch the surface while others strike at your soul." _― Gianna Perada**

* * *

**Arc I: Chapter 2**

I began to wail again when I realized what a dangerous world I had just become a part of. My Otou-san began to fuss over me and panic, taking years off his face. _Isn't he a little young to be a parent?_ I remember thinking somewhere underneath the fear that was gripping my heart.

_Oh god, where in the timeline am I? How long before the Uchiha massacre? Who is the Hokage?_

"Shisui, give her here, she is not going to calm down as long as your panicking," Okaa-chan exclaimed.

_Shisui?_ In my shock I abruptly stopped crying. Shisui's face showed relief and he beamed at me. _How many Shisuis are there in the Uchiha Clan? Is my new Otou-san _the _Uchiha Shisui? Itachi's best friend and Konoha loyalist?_

"Pou, Tsume has been chomping at the bit to get in here. I need to go before either her or Kuromaru recognize my scent. I love you."

Shisui handed me off to my mother and disappeared from my view after a quick kiss to my forehead.

"Meeeh, Kiiromaru, you can come see Mimi-chan now," my mom called softly.

_Who is Kiiromaru?_

My question was answered a few seconds later as a large yellow dog hopped up on the bed next to my mom. The dog's face came into view and I noted that it had a wolf-like snout and gentle green eyes.

"Mimi-chan, this is Kiiromaru, he is the best partner a girl could ask for!" Okaa-chan stated happily. Kiiromaru nuzzled my stomach and licked my face. Now, I have a little confession to make. I have always loved dogs. They are man's best friend and I use to own two Huskies in my old life. I reached for Kiiromaru and tangled my hands in his shaggy hair, feeling sadness wash over me at the thought of my best friends.

"You make a cute pup, Pou," Kiiromaru stated with the deepest voice I have ever heard. My eyes widened when he talked and I felt total delight when I realized that one day, I would get my own canine companion and he might be able to talk!

A large bang startled me, causing me to pull Kiiromaru's fur, which was still in my grip, and he winced.

"POU-CHAN! HOW DARE YOU GIVE BIRTH AND KEEP ME AWAY?" a gruff, yet obviously female, voice declared loudly.

Okaa-chan's face turned sheepish and she rubbed the back of her head before answering, "Sumimasen, Onee-chan, I wanted to have a quiet birth."

I heard a sigh before another rough voice, this time male, spoke up.

"Calm down Tsume," the voice started, "you have your own pup due any time now."

_Hmm...Tsume…Tsume…isn't that Kiba's mom?_

"Well, give it here, imouto," Tsume demanded, "Is it a boy or a girl?" Feeling a lot like a hot potato, I didn't put up a fuss as my mom gently untangled my hand from Kiiromaru's fur and handed me over to her big sister while informing her of my gender and new name. Tsume's face came into view and she looked as wild as portrayed in the anime. Spike brown hair framed her face and long purple fang marks contrasted nicely with her lightly tanned skin. She had brown eyes like my mother but she had animalistic slit-like pupils.

Tsume sat down in a nearby chair and another dog with a wolf-like face trotted up next to her and approached me. I recognized the dog as her loyal companion, Kuromaru, when I noted the eye-patch over his right eye and the missing left ear. They both looked at me intently. "Mimi-chan is adorable! I have the cutest little niece in the entire village! What do you think Kuromaru, her good looks are obviously Inuzuka!" Tsume went from cheerfully making exclamations at my cuteness to glowering intensely at Kuromaru, daring him to disagree. _Scary!_

Kuromaru sweat dropped and agreed quickly, which smoothed out Tsume's features and she babbled at me happily. "Her eyes are dark though, who's the father again?" Tsume asked quickly.

I assumed she was trying to catch my mother out, something that was attempted often if the exaggerated sigh from my mother was any indication. "Tsume, it was a traveler, a one night stand during a mission. I don't know who he is and I don't want to find him. Mimi is mine and belongs to the Inuzuka clan, which is all that matters."

_Oh wow, mental note, Okaa-chan is a good liar._

I fell asleep to my mom and aunt arguing back and forth.

* * *

The first time I saw Hana was after I woke up from my first nap after my birth. Her little, but still large to me, face contained the red fang-like marks of the Inuzuka clan and her brown hair was tied in a ponytail like the anime. Her black eyes blinked at me and she poked me as if testing my fragility. Tsume hurried her away after I began to fuss. When Kiba was born two days later, she would constantly pick him up and spent just as much time with him as Tsume. Hana _obsessed_ over Kiba and me. She carted around three grey puppies that playfully tussled with baby Kiba and would sometimes nap with me.

Hana loved to dress me up in little girly outfits. I was put in little frilly pink….things constantly. The day that I could dress myself would not come soon enough. Of course, she put Kiba in white, equally frilly outfits and then would pose us together for mock photo shoots. Perfect blackmail material for when Kiba was older.

They sometimes put Kiba and me in the same crib and his added warmth was a welcome one. I thought he would be a fussy baby considering all the energy he displayed in the anime but he was actually pretty calm, always looking around at the world with that baby wonder. He had Tsume's slit-like eyes and I would sigh wistfully, wishing I was a bit older so that I could properly snuggle him.

My dad visited me often, mostly in the middle of the night. He would not speak to me in the baby voice that seemed to be the norm when most others babbled at me. Shisui would tell me stories of his amazing feats as a ninja and talked about Pou all the time.

They had met when they were put on the same Genin team, Team 7 funny enough. According to him, it was love at first sight for him…or first fist to the face rather. I felt proud when he told me how my mom thoroughly kicked his ass in their first spar. He informed me that he was 15 and Pou was 18 when I was born, which, while extremely young and scandalous in my past life, wasn't too out of the norm in the ninja world. He made sure to always assure me that he loved me very much and that while he wished he could shout to everyone that I am his cute little daughter; my safety came first and foremost.

I loved my new mom with all of my little heart. I was constantly in her arms and well, you can't deny closeness once you have breastfed. Pou had a very large chest, about as big as Tsunade's was portrayed, and I had briefly wondered whether I would inherit it. I was rather flat-chested in my old life.

Pou would read to me and play with me and when I wasn't with her, I would be curled up next to Kiiromaru, who would sometimes bathe me with his tongue lovingly. I should have been grossed out but it was comforting and affectionate.

Since I was a baby and all I could do was eat, poop and sleep, time seemed to just tick on by. Occasionally, I would feel an itching throughout my body, that I figured was the development of my Chakra coils. The Kyuubi attack happened when I was three months old. Kiba - who had a very healthy set of lungs, let me tell you, wailed and screamed next to me. I felt the demonic Chakra press down on me and I joined Kiba in his cries. My reason for crying, though, was different. While the Chakra was scary, underneath it I could also feel an overwhelming sadness. I cried as I thought of Kurama and all the Bijuu, and how they must have been in so much pain and felt so lonely.

Eventually, the Chakra lifted its pressure and Kiba and I were picked up and rocked by Tsume. She had tears streaking down her face and the room felt solemn.

Pou died in the attack that night.

* * *

A/N: Oh my god I can't believe how many followers this story has gained just with the first chapter! Thank you sooo much for your favorites and for following my story. A big thanks to **queenofsong** and **Run Around With A KF Lover XD** for your kind reviews and I hoped everyone enjoyed this chapter!

Please feel free to let me know what you think and to point out any mistakes you spot, just be kind to me about it!


	3. Arc I (Pre-Introduction): S-Class Secret

A/N: This story is rated M due to strong violence, language and suggestive themes.

Summary: The Ripple Effect dictates that one interaction can affect other interactions not directly related to the first. I found myself reborn after my death, and like a stone that is cast into the water, _I altered everything_. A semi self-insert (SI) OC story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any way shape or form. I do own any original characters featured in this story, whether major or minor.

Big thanks to my beta and best friend Kanae14!

* * *

**_"Everywhere we shine death and life burn into something new…" _― Aberjhani, Elemental: The Power of Illuminated Love **

* * *

**Arc I: Chapter 3**

You would figure that I would feel at least a little bit of guilt at my easy acceptance of my new parents, but I didn't. While I loved my old parents, they never quite understood me and they were always working. It was always me and my older brother, Derek. He eventually turned into a drug addict, cocaine was his poison, and my parents disowned him to preserve their reputation. I was constantly checking him into rehab and trying to help him get clean. Before I died, he was 14 months sober. My guilt and regret comes from the fact that he doesn't have me to support him anymore. Our parents are dead, so I know they aren't suffering from my loss.

I felt Pou's loss deeply. There was a mass service for all of those who died in the attack. Tsume held me as she stood stoically like all of the other Shinobi. Kiba was with Hanna and their dad, whose face was rather plain and insignificant. I figured I purposely forgot it, since I knew he would leave his family behind like a coward.

While in Tsume's arms, my gaze wandered, trying to spot faces from the anime or manga that I might have recognized. I was trying to avoid thinking about the devastation of the attack, the loss of so many. Eventually my eyes connected with my father's, the pain I saw in his eyes hit me like a fist in the gut. I began to wail again and he looked away guiltily. My cries triggered Kiba's and like a chain reaction, every baby and child in the crowd cried and wailed and screamed. The Shinobi continued to stand solemnly out of respect to the Fourth Hokage and the Third's voice rose above the clamor.

"Our children cry because they too, feel the loss of so many. The Fourth Hokage was a hero to our village! This child I hold before you is also a hero! The Yondaime sealed the Kyuubi in him so that he may protect us from it and use its power to protect our village! He will be named Uzumaki Naruto in honor of Uzumaki Kushina, who for so long protected us as a jinchuuriki, but more importantly, protected us as a strong kuunoichi of the leaf!"

The Shinobi remained silent; however, I could hear a few jeers from the civilians. Already I could tell that from the very beginning, Naruto stood no chance for acceptance and it seemed like the village would definitely _not_ take to heart the Hokage's words. When the children stopped crying and the crowd quieted, I could hear the Sandaime's sigh.

"His status as the container of the Kyuubi is to be classified as an S-Class secret. Do not tell your children and do not inform any outsiders. Anyone who does not keep their silence will be punished. The penalty for revealing the secret is death!"

I heard several gasps and indignant grumbles from the civilians. At that moment, I could understand why the Hokage slapped an S-Class rank on the information, aside from the fact that Naruto would be under threat of kidnapping. It was mostly to give him a slight chance at his generation accepting him. Unfortunately, I knew that wouldn't come until much later.

The Hokage dismissed us and a separate service for the Inuzuka who died in the attack was held at the clan compound. Aside from Pou, a third cousin of mine from the branch family and twin babies, whose developing chakra systems were overwhelmed by the Kyuubi's demonic chakra, also died. Kiiromaru died with my mom and was buried next to her. His mate died not long after.

* * *

Time went on and eventually I could sit up by myself. Teething was a nightmare, when it was finally over with I discovered I had the sharpened canines that were common in my clan. Unfortunately, that discovery was made when I cut my tongue sliding it over a sharp point.

I could walk at one and could say basic words, my toddler mouth unable to form sentences yet. I was pretty advanced for a child but an over protective Tsume made sure to keep that an Inuzuka clan secret. Prodigies and geniuses weren't common in our clan but she did not want me to attract unwanted attention.

Apparently, she knew all along that Shisui was my dad. She confronted him in one of his nightly visits after Pou's death and revealed that she had smelled him on Pou from the first time they were ever together. The fact that my scent held a tinge of his also factored into it. She readily agreed to keep it a secret, because after the Kyuubi attack, everyone looked for someone to blame and all eyes turned to the Uchiha Clan. I knew that this was the start of the slippery slope that would lead to the massacre.

Inuzukas receive their fang marks when they are able to walk, and usually the parent decides the color. The marks can be red, purple or black. When Tsume asked for the clan tattooist to put purple fang marks on my face, I protested.

"Iie! Black!" I stated loudly. Tsume looked at me long and hard before giving the tattooist the go ahead.

I chose black to symbolize the death of my past life and as a reminder of the dark future ahead. The black fang marks on my face would serve as a reminder of what I decided would be my purpose in this world. I planned on changing everything I could.

As I have mentioned, you don't have a lot to do as an infant so when I would lie in my crib, Kiba curled next to me, I planned. I had originally planned to stay out of the story line as much as possible, maybe get a job in the T&I department or try to get a position as an advisor or something. The Kyuubi attack was a reminder of the bleak future and the loss and pain and suffering of those I already cared so deeply for.

No, that future was not good enough for me at all. I was going to change _everything_. I planned to start with Shisui's death.

* * *

A/N: Really!? 10 Reviews? My inbox is flooded with follows and alerts and I couldn't be happier! I am so glad everyone is enjoying this story. Thank you for all of your support! Special thanks to: **Sweet Petit, 4everfictional, Lykae101Sky, Run Around With A KF Lover XD, Ox King and Nightbloodwolf for your reviews :D**


	4. Arc I (Pre-Introduction): Training

A/N: This story is rated M due to strong violence, language and suggestive themes.

Summary: The Ripple Effect dictates that one interaction can affect other interactions not directly related to the first. I found myself reborn after my death, and like a stone that is cast into the water, _I altered everything_. A semi self-insert (SI) OC story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any way shape or form. I do own any original characters featured in this story, whether major or minor.

My beta is back in school and is enjoying the perks of being my best friend and getting first look at the new chapters but really unable to put any time into editing so enjoy but forgive any mistakes!

* * *

_**"Perspective is as simple as answering this question: If I had 5 months to live would I experience this problem differently?" **_**― Shannon L. Alder**

* * *

**Arc I: Chapter 4**

At 3 years old I was finally allowed to dress myself. This also meant that I got to see my own reflection for the first time. I could form complete sentences so I was able to properly request a mirror for my room and pick out my own outfits while shopping.

I pulled on a white t-shirt and red baggy shorts. I brushed my hair and finally turned to the mirror to look at myself. I looked nothing like my old self.

I raised a slightly tanned hand and watched as the child reflected in the mirror raised it, too. Where I use to have brown hair and green eyes, my reflection showed that this "new me" had jet black hair and onyx eyes. Where I use to have straight hair parted to the left, my reflection showed that I now had wavy hair and clean cut bangs framing my childish face. I thankfully had Pou's dainty nose instead of Shisui's broad one. I fist pumped when I saw that I did get his beautiful eye lashes. They were thick and long and turned upwards at the end.

I grinned and inspected my fangs. I then tucked my hair behind my ears and confirmed what I had been feeling all along. My ears were slightly pointed, like a wolf. It wasn't anything obnoxious; my ears still mostly looked like normal ears. In the Naruto-universe, Kiba was known to be incredible with his nose, even by Inuzuka standards. For me, I already was showing an incredible use of my hearing, like when I heard the Sandaime's sigh before his declaration after the Kyuubi attack, even though I was all the way in the back with all of the other Clans.

I placed a red headband with white polka dots on my head and after one final look over at my childish frame I turned and made my bed. My room was rather large as were all the rooms in the Inuzuka compound, though I only really used about half of it. I had a single bed with white sheets tucked in the corner and a black nightstand next to it with a picture of a beaming Pou holding me on top.

My walls were a light cream color and the mirror I used earlier stood tall next to the door that led to my joint bathroom with Kiba (That is so going to be a problem in the future I just know it). My black dresser had five drawers and was next to the door leading to the hall. I quickly shoved the rubber kunai into the white treasure play box underneath the large window next to my nightstand and sat down in the empty part of my room meant for my canine companion. Until I received him, I was using that part of my room to do stretches and chakra exercises. The only object in that side of the room was a floor to ceiling bookcase filled with history books, chakra books and a few E-class jutsu scrolls given to me by Shisui.

I sat with my legs crossed and closed my eyes to focus a bit more to grab at my chakra. It was right after I received my fang marks that I was able to really feel my chakra for the first time and begin manipulation exercises. My chakra was incredibly warm and I didn't struggle much with moving it around in my body. I wasn't sure if it was because I was so incredibly aware of chakra or if it was an Uchiha prodigy thing. I could feel Tsume's chakra moving around in the kitchen, most likely preparing breakfast and Kiba was still sleeping in his bed. Kuromaru was running around outside with his mate and new pups.

I naturally had a higher concentration of chakra in my ears. When I reinforce them with more chakra, I could hear the wind rustling the leaves in the trees on the other side of the compound. I moved my chakra around to my hands and opened eyes. I looked down and my hands were glowing yellow. _Huh, ok so in the manga, chakra was described as yellow unlike the blue in the anime. So is this universe manga-verse or anime-verse? Or a combination of both?_

I continued to meditate and play with my chakra until Tsume called me for breakfast. Feeling a little tired, I slowly picked myself up and headed towards the kitchen.

"Good morning oba-chan," I yawned as I sat at the counter. "Good morning," Tsume replied and placed a huge plate of bacon and eggs in front of me with a glass of orange juice. I tucked in like a starving animal (my table manners were most definitely Inuzuka), enjoying the now frequent home cooked meals that I never got to enjoy in my past life.

Tsume leaned on the counter across from me, watching me eat with an amused smile and making me feel slightly self-conscious. "What time is your otou-chan picking you up, today?" Tsume asked.

I paused my eating frenzy and glanced at the large round clock hanging on the light blue wall. "In about five minutes, oba-chan," I answered and focused again on my meal. Tsume patted my head gently and merely smiled at me, then left to go wake up Kiba. I snickered when I heard an indignant "OKAA-CHAN!" come from his room.

I felt Shisui's chakra signature and immediately started eating more ladylike. What? So I look up to my new dad and want to impress him, big deal.

Shisui chuckled and dropped a kiss on my head. "Good morning, my cute little daughter," he greeted me then stood back with his arms held out expectantly. I finished my food (it's important!) and then turned around and tackled him around the waist with a hug. "Ohayou! What are we doing today, Otou-chan?" my voice came out a bit muffled from where it was buried in his stomach but use to it, Shisui just answered.

"We are going to train with Ita-chan, today."

He was referring to, of course, Uchiha Itachi. I first met him the year before and our first meeting was…interesting and I'll just leave it at that. I still giggle sometimes at the memory. Our relationship is pretty complex. I started training in the Uchiha katas shortly after our introduction. In private, when it is just Itachi, Shisui and I, Itachi pushes me hard but is always very gentle with me. I know I can't compete with Sasuke for his affections (his brother-complex is so obvious), but I do think I am a close second.

In public, Itachi treats me as he treats all of Sasuke's friends. All the clan kids get together at the park near the Hokage tower about twice a week to play games. He would drop off and pick up Sasuke and incline his head at me politely but nothing more.

When Shisui and I reached the secret training ground, our greeting went as usual.

"Itachi-nii!" I tackled the seven year old Itachi into the ground and squeezed him as tight as my little toddler body would allow. In the past, I always believed that Itachi was just one of those characters that needed a lot of hugs, and desperately, so every time I saw him, and no one else was around to witness our relationship, I would give him as many hugs as possible. At one point, it was incorporated into my training to try to get as close to him as possible to give him a hug.

My success rate wasn't very high…

Itachi patted my head. "Hello Mimi-chan."

I got off of him and we both stood up. I inspected him, as I hadn't seen him in a week, and noted the new Konoha hitai on his forehead. His dark onyx eyes looked at me gently and a slight smile looked down at me. His jet black hair was pulled into a ponytail and already, he had the distinctive lines on his face. Itachi graduated the academy after only one year, currently making him the youngest genin at age 7. Civilians start the academy at age 5 and clan kids start at age 6, this is to give the civilians an opportunity to catch up on the general knowledge that the rest of us learn in our clans. Itachi isn't the youngest genin to graduate from the academy, that title belongs to Hatake Kakashi, but there is no question as to his genius.

Shisui clapped his hands together to get our attention. "Ok Mimi-chan, today we are going to go over the katas again and I want you to start working on our clan's Great Fireball technique, Ita-chan, please start her stretches, I'll be right back," Shisui instructed and then shunshined out of there. Oh god, he thought I was ready for _that_!?

The Fire Release: Great Fireball technique was the Uchiha clan's coming of age "test". Itachi was able to do it on his first try at my age but I wasn't sure I was a well-rounded prodigy like Itachi.

"First position, Mimi-chan!" I was startled out of my thoughts and instinctively snapped into the first stretch. Itachi took me through our usual series of stretches that are basically to limber up my body and the end result is incredible flexibility that I never achieved in my previous life. These stretches always left me feeling like a contortionist, I could easily bend over backwards into a bride, grab my ankles while still bent backwards and wrap my legs around the back of my head. They were also great for balance and the katas came a lot easier after.

Shisui came back after two hours and once I was done reviewing the katas, I sat across from him where he was sitting in the shade of a tree and waited for him to speak. Itachi left to meet up with his new genin team, having graduated after only one year at the academy. I was use to feeling like the smartest person in the room but next to Itachi, I realized exactly how I made everyone else feel: like an underdeveloped ape.

"Let's start with the hand seals and we'll go from there," Shisui started. "Pay close attention Mimi-chan, Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger," Shisui went through the hand seals quickly, having already learned of my eidetic memory. I repeated the seals, though a little slower, my hands not nearly as flexible as his.

"Good job! Now we are going to go over those seals over and over again until you can do them without thinking," Shisui smiled at me proudly. "Hai, Otou-chan," and with that I went back to focusing on the hand seals. We spent the next six months going over the technique, possible draw backs and its uses and focus training where he would throw kunai and shuriken at me, with sometimes Itachi joining in on _that_ fun, until I could do the seals without thinking. It took another six months before I could properly execute the jutsu and, while a far cry from Itachi's first time execution at three years old, it was still pretty impressive, if the proud smile Shisui wore for weeks after was any indication.

* * *

_**OMAKE**_

**Third Person P.O.V**

Itachi stood in a secret training ground near the Uchiha compound, waiting anxiously for Shisui. His beloved cousin had informed him that he had a very important secret to share and to meet him at their training ground at sunset.

Shisui appeared with a small girl in his arms. She appeared to be about two years old and looked at him with familiar onyx eyes that looked a lot older. He glanced between her and Shisui and noted similarities. He noticed the black fang like marking on her cheeks, marking her as an Inuzuka clan member but her similarities to the Uchiha that was holding her were unmistakable. All of this occurred in a matter of seconds and then he saw a side of his cousin he had never seen before.

"Itaaachi-chaaan, meet my adorable little daughter," Shisui twirled the little girl around and around as he approached Itachi, the sight disturbing and reminiscent of Konoha's Green Beast when he would go off on a rant about Youth!

Shisui thrust the child into Itachi's arms, who was quick to catch her before she fell to the ground. Itachi held the child closer for his inspection. He showed no emotion in his outward appearance but he clearly held some disbelief. The child grinned at him mischievously, the smile almost exactly like Shisui's, except with fangs.

"Hajimemashite, my name is Mimi, will you be my boyfriend?" Before he could react, the little toddler reached up and kissed him right on the lips. Itachi turned red and dropped her but Shisui managed to grab her before she hit the ground.

"I-ta-chi, you have ruined my innocent cute little daughter," Shisui stated in a dark voice. Itachi subtly gulped and took a step back as Shisui placed his daughter gently on the ground and turned to him with a disturbing smile on his face. Shisui took out a few shuriken which he spread amongst his fingers and chuckled. "Time for some dodge training, I-ta-chi-chan," was the only warning he got before he began to dodge the shuriken coming his way, still red in the face. As he moved around the training ground, getting cut every once in a while and shying away from the overprotective father's killing intent, he glanced at the giggling toddler.

To steal from the Nara, he only had one word to say: "Troublesome."

* * *

A/N: So I created a little omake for all of my wonderful readers! Again thank you so much for all of your support! My followers and favoriters (made that up) are much appreciated! As always huge thanks to my reviewers: **wbreeck**, **chloemika** and **Isaac** and a special thanks to **Run Around With A KF Lover XD** who has reviewed and supported every chapter so far!

I would like to quickly address Isaac's review since he/she was logged in as a guest: No worries, you aren't being a downer at all! I do have that entire situation worked out so just keep reading. I know some people will be happy with me and others not so much.

For those of you curious as to my update schedule, I basically don't update a chapter until I have at least the next one or two chapters ready. This is so that when I am unable to write up another chapter, I have a couple of back ups so that I go two weeks at the most between updates and don't leave you all hanging for weeks on end waiting for an update. This means sometimes updates come faster, and sometimes they will come slower. Most of the chapters so far have been short but as I get closer to the start of the series and more into the plot for my character the chapters are getting longer and longer which means the updates will most likely come a bit slower.

Anyway, thanks again for reading and hope you continue to enjoy! Oh and I do have a link to my devianArt on my profile that is a pic of chibi Mimi I created on an anime character generator since I can't find my sketch book anywhere .


	5. Arc I (Pre-Introduction): A New Friend

A/N: This story is rated M due to strong violence, language and suggestive themes.

Summary: The Ripple Effect dictates that one interaction can affect other interactions not directly related to the first. I found myself reborn after my death, and like a stone that is cast into the water, _I altered everything_. A semi self-insert (SI) OC story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any way shape or form. I do own any original characters featured in this story, whether major or minor.

Big thanks to my new beta Karen! Gotta love a coworker with an English degree :)

* * *

_**"The greatest gift of life is friendship, and I have received it," - **_**Hubert H. Humphrey**

* * *

**Arc I: Chapter 5**

When I was reborn, it seems like my personality was reset. While mature and aware, I was hindered by the limitations of my young body and sometimes a juvenile instinct would overtake me and I would act impulsively or childishly, despite my best intentions. Inuzuka are social people, we literally can go crazy from isolation, a trait that completely overrode my previous loner personality.

My inner twenty-seven year old was a bit put out at my childish stupidity sometimes but at the same time I was really glad to see the world through fresh eyes and gain new experiences. Slowly my memories simply became that: memories. I lost the value or the effects of the experiences from those memories. I was even able to discard and forget things, kind of seal them away as though they were irrelevant, and eventually I decided to let go of my past completely and only keep anything related to Naruto. I spent several months mourning my past self, but eventually let Mizuri Akira rest in peace.

I met Naruto during what must have been the time period right before he was to enter the Academy. It was October 18, the anniversary of the Kyuubi attack and Naruto's fifth birthday, and I was playing Ninja with all of the other clan kids at the usual park near the Hokage tower. Most people were dressed in black and I was no exception, wearing a black dress with shorts underneath and a white hair band. I tried not to get too dirty since there was a service for my mother later that day.

"Go away, beast!" Inuzuka Toshi, a distant cousin and member of the branch family, shouted at a small, blond, messy-haired kid who was staring at the ground. He was wearing a raggedy white shirt with the red swirling Uzumaki clan symbol on the front and green shorts. I could see tears falling down his little face before he abruptly turned around and slumped off towards the swing set, the rest of the kids jeering in his wake. Kiba and I stood there holding hands, as usual. I was squeezing his tightly, partly to keep him from joining the jeering children and having to be disappointed in him and partly from my frustration. My other hand was balled up in a fist.

"Kiba, go play with the others, I'm going to check on him," I instructed my younger cousin. His wholly black outfit made the red fang marks on his face stand out as he turned to me and protested, "But Mimi-chan, he is a monster! All the adults say so!" I released his hand and faced him. "The adults are wrong! He doesn't look like a monster, he looks like a little lonely kid and I am going to go play with _him_. See you at home, Kiba," I replied scathingly, a brief pang hitting me when I saw the slight look of hurt on his face. I walked toward the swing set and sat on the one next to Naruto.

"Hi, my name is Inuzuka Mimi, what's yours?" I chirped at him. Naruto sniffled and looked at me warily. Now that I was closer, I could see the telltale whisker marks on his cheeks and bright blue eyes. "Uzumaki Naruto," he replied hesitantly and looked at me as if I was going to yell at him and run off. "That's a cool name, Naruto… like ramen right?"

He briefly looked startled before brightening up and going off on a tangent about ramen. "Hai, ramen is the best food in the world, dattebayo!" He fist-pumped and nearly fell off the swing in his excitement. This began a conversation on all of our favorite things, our likes and dislikes and anything under the sun as we swung the time away. After what must have been hours later, I heard Kiba calling for me. "Mimi-chan, we have to go home for the service!"

I jumped off the swing and faced a disappointed Naruto who had stopped swinging when I jumped. "Ehhh, Naru-chan, why the long face? We can play more tomorrow," I assured him. His face brightened up a bit before slumping again. "No we won't," he replied sadly, "tomorrow you will probably hate me, like everyone else does."

I gasped dramatically and chose my next words carefully to dispel his understandable pessimism, "Never! Naru-chan is my new best friend, we have to play and I'll talk to Kiba and then the three of us can play Ninja together!" It seemed to work as Naruto beamed happily before asking me, "…promise?" His blue eyes widened and he gave me the most effective puppy dog look I had ever been faced with in both my lives.

"Stop, stop, of course!" I shoved at him gently to get him to stop with the look and an echo of my adult mind realized: _Oh my god this kid will get away with murder where anything involving me is concerned, Kami, why?_ Shaking off that thought, I placed my hand over my heart and looked at him seriously, while declaring loudly "I, Inuzuka Mimi, promise that I will _try_ to convince Kiba to join us and even if he doesn't, that tomorrow we will meet here at the park and play Ninja, and I don't break my promises! They are important!" A villager passing the park sneered at me and gave us a dirty look. I growled a bit and glared back, causing the man to scuttle away.

Naruto had tears in his eyes and I was unable to stop myself as I promptly glomped him. He froze before tentatively wrapping his arms around me and relaxing. I pretended not to notice my dampening t-shirt.

* * *

The next day, Naruto didn't show up at the park which made me absolutely flip out. I'd convinced Kiba the night before that Naruto wasn't bad at all. It didn't take much, as he had seen Naruto cry and his mom had approved of the friendship. She scolded Kiba for believing stupid rumors and almost sent him to bed without supper before I intervened. Tsume is scary when mad, as evidenced by her cowardly husband who ran off the year before.

"Maybe he was scared that you wouldn't keep your promise or he was embarrassed because he cried," Kiba offered, trying to calm me down. "No! I _told _Naru-chan that promises are important, he would not ditch us!"

Kiba stood next to me wearing a dark blue shirt with white shorts, his hair messy and all over the place. I was wearing a red shirt and matching him in white shorts, my bangs cutting neatly across my face, with the rest of my hair in a high ponytail.

I took a deep breath to calm down and began to think. Why would Naruto bail? It seemed highly unlikely that he would do so by choice, so it had to be because something or someone was stopping him. It suddenly hit me and I took off running, dragging a surprised Kiba behind me.

"I think I know where he is! Let's go check, I hope he's ok!" I shouted as I pulled him. The day before had been the fifth anniversary of the Kyuubi attack. I remembered that at some point as a young child, Naruto was kicked out of the orphanage and attacked by drunk and angry villagers. _Could that have been yesterday?_

Kiba and I finally arrived at Konoha General Hospital, Kiba panting heavily, unused to such heavy exercise. "Why would Naruto be here?" he asked me between gasps. "Because the villagers are idiots," I replied and promptly walked in. I gracefully dodged the people bustling about and headed straight for the receptionist, Kiba apologizing to every other person he ran into trying to keep up with me.

"Hi, was Uzumaki Naruto admitted? What room is he in?" I wasted no time asking the receptionist and not even blinking at her green hair and violet eyes, already used to the strangeness of hair and eye color in this world. Her pleasant smile turned into an ugly glare before she hissed at me. Seriously, she hissed. At. Me.

"What do you want with that demon?" she spat out and Kiba hid behind me, clutching on to the back of my shirt. I opened my mouth to yell at her before I was interrupted by a polite cough behind me. The receptionist dropped her glare and her face seemed to drain of all color. Having an inkling of who had interrupted, I turned around and sure enough, there stood the Hokage.

Immediately I bowed and pulled Kiba into a bow next to me, as he was just staring at the Sandaime in awe.

"Ohayou, Hokage-sama," I greeted him after straightening up. He looked as old and tanned as he was portrayed, wearing his typical Hokage attire of white robes and ridiculous triangular hat.

"Hello, who are you?" he asked me kindly and then shot Kiba an amused look as he shuffled closer to me. I wasn't fooled by him though, knowing that despite his harmless appearance there was a hint of steel in his eyes as he looked us over, continuing before we could answer his first question. "By the marks on your face, you are definitely Inuzuka," he stated. I nodded my head at him. "I'm Inuzuka Mimi and this is my cousin Inuzuka Kiba."

"Sarutobi Hiruzen," he acknowledged back to us. "Mimi-chan, why are you looking for Naruto?" he asked me, as Kiba remained mute while clutching on to me, the awestruck look on his face seemingly a permanent fixture.

"Because I promised him that Kiba and I would play ninja with him today, and I don't break my promises!" I smiled up at him and posed, one hand resting on my waist and the other raised in a fist with a thumb pointing at my chest. Hey, all the cool kids have poses!

The Hokage chuckled, "I was on my way to visit Naruto, would you like to join me?" I nodded my head eagerly and followed the Hokage to Naruto's room, all of us ignoring the receptionist peeking out from behind her desk, where she had been hiding throughout our interaction.

"How did you know where to find Naruto, Mimi-chan?" The Hokage attempted to ask casually. To anyone else, they would have thought nothing of it but I knew that the Hokage was keeping an eye on Naruto, though not a very good one apparently, as he had still ended up in the hospital.

"People are mean," I started, walking quickly to keep up with the Hokage whose stride was a lot longer than mine. Kiba stumbled along behind us. "I've noticed that everyone is especially mean to Naru-chan. I saw him get hit by the fish lady once. He ended up with a really big bruise. I figured the only reason Naru-chan would ditch us is because he was hurt really bad."

The Hokage briefly paused mid-step when I mentioned the plump brown haired, brown eyed and plain owner of the fish stall in the village market square. She was a miserable old coot and especially cruel to Naruto. When I noticed her hit Naruto all those months ago, I secretly kicked out one of the legs holding her stall up on my way past, causing all of her fish to fall out onto the street and become completely useless. Tsume was the only one who noticed it was me, but having also witnessed the fish lady's cruelty, she just continued to walk on, smirking and pulling Kiba along while I walked beside her.

"Yes," the Hokage stated gravely, "People can be very mean."

The Hokage looked at me with renewed interest and I pretended not to notice. This could be really bad, if he were to take a serious interest in me. He could discover things, like the fact that Shisui is my dad, and if he realized that then he would eventually come to the conclusion that I'm an Uchiha prodigy, especially since I already could perform all of the Academy standard jutsu and a few more E and D-rank jutsu, not to mention the Uchiha clan's Great Fireball Technique.

"You are very observant, Mimi-chan, a very good skill for a ninja to have," he complimented me. Crap, I really need to discuss this with Shisui. He would know the best way to stay under the radar.

Of course, I then remembered that I was becoming friends with _Naruto_. Anyone close to him would be observed and investigated. _Sigh…this is going to be a lot harder than I thought._

We finally reached Naruto's room on the fifth floor, which seemed to be a ghost floor as I couldn't hear anyone else or feel any other chakra signatures, other than the Anbu and Naruto. The Hokage opened the door which revealed a beat up Naruto, sitting up on his bed. The despondent look turned into a beaming smile when he noticed us.

"Mimi-chan! Kiba-kun! What are you doing here with Ojiisan!?" he exclaimed with excitement. His reaction helped to slightly calm the overwhelming anger I felt when I saw his state. He had a black eye and was missing a couple of teeth. A dark bruise covered the right part of his forehead and I could see bandage wrapping peeking out from under the neckline of the hospital gown he was wearing. I relaxed my tense body and ran over to him. Kiba still stood wide eyed and silent, though this time it was clearly the sight of Naruto that caused him to have this reaction.

"Naru-chan, what happened!?" I asked him. The Sandaime sat on a chair near the other side of the bed, leaning forward and clearly waiting for an explanation. "Ano...I'm sorry I didn't meet you at the park! The stupid doctor wouldn't let me go!" he apologized. "Nevermind that Naru-chan, why are you so beat up? Who did this? When I find them, I'm going to kick their a-" a cough alongside Kiba's swift elbow to my side interrupted my almost-rant.

Naruto stared at me wide-eyed and then burst out laughing, which caused him to wince and fall back on the bed. "Meeeh Mimi-chan don't make me laugh, it hurts," Naruto giggled. The Hokage watched Naruto with a fond smile and cleared his throat. "Naruto, why were you out so late? Do you think you can remember who attacked you?" he asked gently, stopping Naruto's laughter. The room sounded empty without his laughter filling it up, weighing down the already somber mood.

"I don't remember who they were, it was a bunch of people," he began quietly; "I…got kicked out of the orphanage. The old lady said if she sees me again she will knock out all of my teeth." Kiba's hand tightened its hold on my shirt and I clenched my fists, starting to see red. I looked over at the Hokage and he was clenching his own fists on his robes, his body tense and coiled to spring up…probably wanting to run off and kill that heartless old woman as much as me.

Naruto was staring down at his lap and I removed Kiba's hold from my shirt, then crawled into the bed next to him and held him in a hug. Naruto began shaking and I felt something wetting my shirt. Kiba, being the kind soul that he was, walked up next to me and reached out to gently pat Naruto's head where it rested against my collarbone.

The Hokage stared at us and then reached out to place his hand on Naruto's shoulder. Naruto lifted his head, but continued to lean against me, wiping his eyes and sniffing. "Naruto, how would you like to have your own place? You won't ever have to go back to that orphanage again," the Hokage asked. Naruto lit up before slumping down again. "I don't have any money for my own place," he stated sadly. "Don't worry about that Naruto, we have an orphan fund! Instead of paying the orphanage to take care of you we will give you the money so you can take care of yourself. I'll pay for a place for you," the Sandaime assured him.

Naruto perked up again and then turned to me and Kiba. "Nee, Mimi-chan, you hear that? I will have my own place! We can play there and have sleepovers and eat lots and lots of ramen and-" Naruto continued to ramble on and soon Kiba joined in, shedding his uncharacteristic shyness as he excitedly made plans with Naruto. I relaxed a bit as Naruto shifted away from me, gesturing wildly. Watching him and Kiba filled me with fondness for them. The Hokage took out the pipe that seemed to complete my mental picture of him and puffed away as he watched us with amusement.

And that was the start of an everlasting friendship.

* * *

A/N: **4everfictional, Savannah's Angels, bloodplus103, Demona Evernight and Run Around With A KF Lover XD** I thank you all so much for your reviews! I apologize to everyone for the delay with this update but life is just ugh right now and will be for a while. On the bright side, this fic brings me joy so it won't be suffering too much any time soon.

Thank you for all the favorites and follows and guest reviews, it makes my day!


	6. Arc I (Pre-Introduction): A Start

A/N: This story is rated M due to strong violence, language and suggestive themes.

Summary: The Ripple Effect dictates that one interaction can affect other interactions not directly related to the first. I found myself reborn after my death, and like a stone that is cast into the water, _I altered everything_. A semi self-insert (SI) OC story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any way shape or form. I do own any original characters featured in this story, whether major or minor.

Big thanks to my beta Karen

* * *

_**"Although I know it's unfair I reveal myself one mask at a time." ― **_**Stephen Dunn**

* * *

**Arc I: Chapter 6**

It was halfway through my first year at the academy that I felt like the wheels for my future plans were set in motion. I was at our secret training grounds with Shisui, running through my usual training routine and perfecting my aim with kunai.

"I think I should introduce you to the Hokage," Shisui stated suddenly. I nearly lost my grip on the kunai I was about to throw and looked at him with startled eyes.

"Outo-san, I already know the Hokage," I informed him. I knew what he meant, he already knew that I knew the Hokage through Naruto, but I was reluctant to let anyone else know of my heritage. The more people knew, the more likely the information was to spread. Granted, the Hokage didn't strike me as a gossiper, but the walls have ears, especially in a ninja village.

Shisui gave me a stern look and I slumped my shoulders. "Fine," I muttered. I loved Shisui with everything I had in me, he was the most precious person in my life so I found myself often weak willed against his requests.

Shisui sat down on the grass and patted the spot in front of him and I sat down there right away. "I know it's difficult to have to share something that I've been conditioning you to keep quiet on, but there have been a lot of kidnappings lately and I just want you to be protected. I know that it isn't very likely in the Inuzuka clan compound but a little extra protection couldn't hurt," he explained calmly.

_Danzo, _was my immediate thought. _This isn't good. _

"Hai, tou-chan. Ano…not that I want people to know right now because I want to be stronger first but…when can we tell everyone that you're my tou-chan?"

He smiled at me grimly, as if he had been expecting this question and grabbed my hand. "We can tell people you are a member of the Uchiha clan if you get your Sharingan, but I don't want anyone to know you're my daughter until you're at least a chuunin and can protect yourself better. I have a lot of enemies," Shisui told me gently and squeezed my hand.

_If only you knew, tou-chan…_

I stood up and Shisui let me pull him up and I tackled his waist with a hug. "I will protect you from your enemies, tou-chan," I told him and he smiled at me and patted my head. "One day, my cute little daughter, you'll be more powerful than me but even then it will still be my job to protect _you_." I buried my face in his stomach, not caring that it would mess up my bangs as they were messy anyway, and Shisui switched to playing with the red ribbons on either side of my head that were there for purely decorative purposes. The rest of my hair flowed messily down to my mid back. My father loved my hair, so I never cut it.

I pulled away from him and straightened out my short sleeved white shirt and dusted off my red shorts that made up my daily academy outfit. Hugging in silence was a normal thing between Shisui and me. We stayed away from each other for the most part in public. While I looked mostly like Pou, the features I shared with Shisui were fairly obvious when we stood next to each other. It was especially hard on us when Shisui went on month long missions. When we saw each other on his return to the village we couldn't do much more than wave at each other. We did acknowledge each other because at the end of the day, he was on my mother's genin team which is how they met and so it wasn't so strange that he would check on me.

"Let's go see the Hokage, he is already expecting us…well, me and a guest," Shisui informed me and then shunshined us out of the clearing.

As soon as we arrived at the Hokage's office I greeted him like I would normally, "Ohayou, Hokage-jiji!" I waved at him from Shisui's side.

The Hokage gave me his usual affectionate smile but then his eyes hardened and he looked back and forth between me and Shisui. "Shisui, is Mimi-chan who you wanted to speak to me about?" he addressed Shisui. At that point I was sure he had his suspicions about me and Shisui and was just waiting on him to confirm them.

Shisui bowed at the Sandaime, "Hokage-sama," he took a deep breath and straightened up before continuing, "Mimi-chan is my daughter." It was like ripping off a band aid. The Hokage's pipe fell out of his open mouth. I think he was suspecting that I was a lost Uchiha or something, not that I was Shisui's daughter. Most people didn't know Pou was pregnant, after all, she was officially taken off the active duty roster due to an "illness." The Inuzuka clan is very loyal so they didn't say a word to anyone about the pregnancy, it would have been kind of obvious to connect the dots, as it was no secret that Shisui was seeing Pou.

The Sandaime's jaw snapped shut and I had to use every ounce of willpower to keep myself from squirming under his gaze. He looked back at Shisui. "I see. It's incredible that you have managed to keep this hidden for six years, even from my ANBU. Did she recently find out about her heritage? She doesn't seem very surprised," the Hokage asked.

"I have known my whole life, Hokage-sama, along with learning the Inuzuka clan style, Shisui has been training me in the Uchiha clan style," I answered him firmly, not happy that he began talking about me as if I wasn't standing next to my father. His sharp eyes returned to me and he gave me another inspection.

Shisui placed his hand on my shoulder and squeezed it gently in warning and I shifted my gaze to the floor. "Mimi-chan has always been extremely aware for a child. I believe she is a prodigy, much like Itachi but I didn't want that life for her so we have kept our connection hidden Hiruzen, I am telling you because I am worried about the recent kidnappings in the village. She is legally an orphan, even though Tsume is her official guardian, and I don't want her involved in the Uchiha clan politics. I have so many enemies that she would be at an even greater risk and I don't wish for it to become public knowledge until she has made a name for herself as a chuunin, making those that would harm her think twice before attacking her."

"Have you activated your Sharingan yet, Mimi-chan?" This time he looked at me concerned. His expression softened towards me and I felt a little more confident. "Iie, Hokage-sama. I have been sheltered for the most part and it isn't a guarantee that I even have the Sharingan, at least according to Shisui. I have photographic memory though, so I think that it is close to the surface." I had put a lot of thought into whether or not I would get the Sharingan, as not all Uchiha manage to activate it, and great stress isn't always enough to trigger it. Sasuke didn't activate his Sharingan after the massacre after all, it wasn't until the mission in Wave so I figure it had in part to do with talent, training and a strong chakra network. Itachi activated his at four because he witnessed death first hand and I was too young for my Sharingan when Pou died, my chakra network not strong enough to develop the Sharingan at only two months. However, I've always felt it, under the surface waiting to burst forward and take over my vision.

"What happened to Hokage-jiji?" The Sandaime smiled at me and I felt myself sag in relief that he would at least keep up the pretense of this information not changing anything. I don't know what I would do if our relationship became so strained, Naruto was very perceptive and would have noticed a change in dynamic immediately. I smiled back at the Hokage and Shisui cleared his throat before speaking.

"Mimi-chan is every bit the prodigy that Itachi is and Itachi and I have been training her in secret so that she will be an asset to the village, but does not gain attention so young." His voice was firm and he almost seemed to challenge yet plead for the Hokage to not give up our rouse and protect me.

"I will keep this from the council," the Hokage started, "I am reluctant to lose yet another child to darkness but I would like to ask, Mimi-chan, what do you want?"

I thought about my answer. I could ask him for advancement in the academy so that I could graduate early but on top of that bringing too much attention, it would separate me from Naruto and Kiba, which I didn't want. If I could just graduate with them I would be in a better position to protect them and make changes to the future that I knew was to come. On the other hand I would most likely be placed in ANBU and my training would advance a lot faster.

"I want to continue training with tou-chan and Itachi-nii in secret and graduate with Naruto," I stated confidently. "My dream is to be strong and protect Naru-chan, so I wish to stay by his side. I'll also be getting my ninken companion soon so I want to learn all I can from my clan on the Inuzuka style of fighting." I thought a bit more before stating the next bit. "I…am also very observant and have noticed a few things around the village and have trained myself in information gathering. I know about tou-chan's mission and think I can help."

Shisui's grip on my shoulder became harder in surprise. The Hokage's eyes narrowed at me again. "Mimi-chan," Shisui addressed me and I turned my head to look at him. He was pale and looked shaken, "Do you understand what you are saying? How did you find out about my mission?"

"I followed you one day, tou-chan, to train myself in stealth and I suppressed my chakra. I also have developed my hearing to where I can hear things from approximately 8 kilometers away so I didn't have to be that close by. You met with Itachi-nii and discussed your mission and talked about the unrest in the Uchiha clan along with possible rebellion and how you are both loyal to Konoha and only wish for peace."

This was actually true. I knew I would need to be aware of everything that was going on so that I could keep track of the timeline and prevent Shisui's death. I also needed an excuse for my knowledge and decided that I would specialize in tracking and information gathering as my primary and a frontline hitter as a secondary so that I could support Naruto. If all went well, I should end up on the same genin team as him as I was currently the top kunoichi and planned for it to stay that way.

Shisui sighed in resignation and looked at the Hokage for direction. "Shisui, what level do you think Mimi is in right now?" He smiled proudly, even if it was tinged with sadness and answered, "She is at least chuunin, only limited by her age and still developing chakra network. I think once she gets her ninken companion she will be tokubetsu jonin."

The Hokage seemed to make a decision. "Inuzuka Mimi," he addressed me and my spine straightened in attention, "I have a secret mission for you classified SS-rank. Protect Uzumaki Naruto under any and all costs. You will stay by his side and disguise your developing higher level skill and graduate when he does. Report to me his progress and any threats so that I may act accordingly."

I beamed at him happily and answered with a "Hai! Hokage-sama," and bowed. I could feel Shisui's relief that I would be graduating at a normal rate, as Naruto hasn't shown any inclination of an early graduation. He was a lot smarter than most people gave him credit for, especially considering that most of the academy teachers ignored him or purposefully sabotaged him.

I also noticed that the academy teachers seemed to be….not very qualified to be teaching. They didn't follow the curriculum given to us at the beginning of the year and were prone to leaving holes in topics. I wasn't 100% sure that this wasn't done on purpose, but if it continued in the next couple of years I was planning on bringing it to the Hokage's attention.

"Shisui," the Hokage turned to my father now, "I think it would be wise to continue to secretly train Mimi-chan and not let anyone know she is your daughter until she is officially a chuunin rank. As you know I have my suspicions as to who is behind the kidnappings and will make it a point to have my eye on Mimi-chan and use the excuse of her being very close to Naruto."

The Hokage tensed as he realized he might have let something slip and if I didn't already know about why Naruto was so special I would have become suspicious then at least. I decided to cut him some slack and not address his slip up though I was sure he was aware that I did catch it since he now knew that I was very observant.

"Hokage-jiji…I have a special request," I decided to go ahead and move forward with my prevention plans and now that the Hokage knew my heritage it made this a lot easier.

The Hokage raised his eyebrow at me, "Oh? And what is that, Mimi-chan?"

I took a deep breath before taking the plunge, "I would like to hire the village for an A-rank escort mission on behalf of the Inuzuka clan. I have been talking it over with Tsume-obachan who was going to make this request. Hana-nee needs to get in touch with our clan allies and would like to learn more veterinarian medicine in order to treat the village ninken companions and animals better. I would like to meet clan allies and learn more about the neighboring countries and villages so I will be accompanying her. That is what we are planning to put on the official request form on our trip. In reality, my objective is to begin to develop my own spy network that will benefit myself and the village. Since you are now aware of our connection I would like for tou-chan to be our escort."

Shisui gaped at me since I hadn't breathed a word of this to him, it was something I was discussing solely with Tsume as I was unsure he would even allow me to go but now I could get the best of both worlds and begin to make contacts that I was sure would help me in my objective to change things.

"How long do you expect the mission to take?" The Hokage placed his pipe back in his mouth and began to puff away, mulling things over.

"This mission should take anywhere from 6-10 months," I answered promptly and tensed in anticipation of his response. That was a long time to take Shisui out of the village when he had another objective to keep an eye on the Uchiha.

Shisui seemed to finally regain his bearings, "Hiruzen, I think it is a great idea. Itachi can keep an eye on things here and it will also show the Uchiha that the village trusts us to keep kids from another clan safe, and a future clan head at that. It may help sway and ease a few ruffled feathers."

I blinked up at him, surprised that he came up with a sound and solid argument for his presence on my trip. I didn't even think about how it would possibly benefit the Uchiha to have an Uchiha escort us. Tsume just wanted to hire a competent Jounin team and I just wanted to stay close to my dad. Hana was also the official clan heir, though she was already discussing giving that up to Kiba with Tsume, as he was showing signs of being more of an Alpha than her.

"Have Tsume bring me the official request and I will assign Shisui to be your escort, as I believe he will be sufficient."

It took everything I had to contain myself from bursting out into a happy dance. I couldn't believe the Hokage approved Shisui as our escort. Of course his brilliant thinking was the major contributing factor. _Thank kami for overprotective fathers!_

"Mimi-chan, why don't you go play with Naruto, I have some things I still need to discuss with the Hokage and you're usually with him at this time anyway," Shisui patted my head and gave me a gentle nudge so I just gave him a quick hug and bowed to the Hokage before I used the shunshin to get out of there.

* * *

I woke up a few days later to a tongue bath on my face and high pitched yipping. I sat up quickly and grabbed the offender by the middle and after a quick check, yes a he, held him up to my face and glared. An albino white puppy, reminiscent of the huskies from my old world stared back at me happily, tongue hanging out. His red eyes melted the glare off my face into a smile. Tsume spoke up and startled me from the doorway.

"Meet your companion," she stated casually, Kuromaru was sitting up next to her, looking at us expectantly. My eyes widened and I inspected the puppy closer before cuddling him to my chest. He continued to lick my chin and I looked up at Tsume expectantly. I was supposed to receive my companion after my first year at the academy with Kiba and wondered why I was getting him now.

"He is from Kuromaru's line and is already potty trained…for the most part. Since you're leaving tomorrow with Hana, you're getting your companion a little early. She will help train you to work together when you aren't training with Shisui."

I was not very talkative in the morning so I merely beamed happily at Tsume before returning my attention to the puppy, whose tail was wagging rapidly.

Tsume chuckled. "Well, looks like you'll get along just fine. Have you decided on a name?"

I held the puppy up to my face and inspected him again, knowing that it was expect that I would pick a –maru name as was traditional in the clan.

I made my decision and proclaimed loudly, "Shiromaru."

* * *

**Omake Third Person POV**

Naruto sat in his tiny apartment staring at Mimi with watery eyes. Not even the albino puppy on his lap, nudging Naruto's chin with his nose, brought much comfort.

"But why do you have to go?" he asked, clutching the dog to his chest. Mimi looked at him sadly, upset to see Naruto on the verge of tears because of her.

"I have to go on a trip for clan purposes and to do special training with Shiromaru. Nee, Naruto-chan I promise to write and Kiba promised that he wouldn't start ignoring you while I'm gone."

Mimi stared off into a spot overlooking Naruto's shoulder violently and cracked her knuckles before continuing. "And Kiba will keep his promise if he knows what's good for him."

Back at the Inuzuka clan compound Kiba shivered violently before sneezing so hard his entire body shook at the action. He wiped his nose clumsily and looked up at Tsume. "Oka-chan, I feel like I should go check on Naruto, I'll be right back."

He took off once his mom waved him off and headed towards Naruto's place, knowing Naruto was there with Mimi. It was a little early to start on his promise to his cousin since she hadn't left yet but the foreboding feeling he got right before his sneeze made him think that maybe it wasn't too early. After all, it was better to stay on Mimi's good side.

* * *

A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long! I made it a bit longer to make up for it and added a little omake so everyone can see how poor little Naruto is taking the news, but fear not, he won't be alone while Mimi is gone!

Huge thanks to: **Kotama, shadow-binder, wbreeck, 4everfictional, Run Around With A KF Lover XD, chloemika, GlidingOne, wolfzero7, Thoroughly Misguided, FilledePluie, innoquous, anonymosi, Roningirlkisa and OrchidWonderland ** for your reviews!

Another thanks to the guest reviewers and OMG 87 favorites and 130 followers!? O.O

Thank you so so much for reading! Your reviews are very kind and make my day and it makes me so happy each time I get a follower and/or favorites alert.

Now to address a few reviews here, just in case any of you had the same questions and/or concerns.

**wolfzero7: Why would they make a big deal out of her like they did itachi? There's no way to know if she's a prodigy or not yet she was just born, and she's not the clan heads child or if she is she isn't the first born.**

Shisui is a descendant of Kagami, an Uchiha clan member who never fell victim to the Curse of Hatred after activating his Sharingan and he was greatly trusted by the second Hokage, Tobirama who wasn't a big Uchiha fan so it was a big deal. Shisui also made a name for himself and also was never victim to the Curse of Hatred so it's not so much the clan making a big deal of her as an Uchiha but as a descendant of two great shinobi who could bring prestige and power to the clan. Uchiha are also very strict and even though at the time she was a baby, Shisui feared that she would be stifled under the clan as he has his own heavy weight with the expectations of the clan. Hope this answers your question!

Ok so it was one question but wolfzero7 brought up a good point!

Thanks again everyone, hope you enjoyed!


End file.
